Hi there! My husband and I are very new to THS and this forum is very helpful. Really appreciate seeing your list of subjects to cover with potential sitters, hadn’t considered asking about smoking/non-smoker/vapor. Not that it is a deal breaker, just want to know in advance & make sure it is all outside, but wouldn’t have even thought to ask. And our kitties may not like the smell of smoke on their clothing … ?
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Thanks - I like this perspective but am not sure I agree with all of it.
If Sitters were solely interested in caring for pets and uninterested in traveling at all they would pet sit locally. There are plenty of animals everywhere that need looking after with no need to get on a plane or travel anywhere. Sitters are on this site because they enjoy BOTH pets AND travel and want to combine the two experiences. But everyone is different in how they prioritize the travel element vs. the pet care element. That is why some sitters understandably don’t want to care for difficult or time consuming animals while others have no issue with it. And it is why desirable locations get many applications vs. less desirable locations getting only a few. So the travel element is very real.
It is not a true volunteer assignment but an exchange. Our homes are not free to us - we do pay to maintain them. So Sitters are getting a ‘payment’ it is just in the form of lodging as part of their travels instead of cash. In exchange Sitters are providing a service to the HO in the form of pet care. And since Sitters are doing this because they love animals they are giving them love and receiving that emotional connection back from the pets - also an exchange.
As a HO I am opening my home to a sitter - our sacred space that we have spent much of our lives building while also entrusting the care of our very loved fur babies. It is an exchange and not free on either side. The HO provides (hopefully comfortable) lodging (which they continue to pay the expenses for) while the Sitter provides care for the pets.
As for the word interview, it is not solely applicable to employee - employer. A prospective student applying to a university will often be interviewed. They are certainly not an employee (in fact they would be paying tuition to attend!) but the university only has so many spots and want to ensure the student is the right fit. Many charity organizations will also interview prospective volunteers.
I don’t see this situation as any different. HO post dates where we will need a pet sitter. Potential sitters apply. If there is more than one applicant than of course all of them can’t be confirmed - hence the interviews to select the Sitter who would be the best fit based on both their travel desires, their ability to care and nurture our pets, and how likely we all are to get along and communicate well. And since HO know the location and the pets they are the ones to decide which sitter to confirm.
I have definitely met with Sitters who were fantastic during our discussions and their love for animals shone through. I am happy to host them as guests so that they have a pleasant experience and that joy can then be shared through their nurturing interaction and care of my pets. I have also met Sitters where their priority was the lodging and location as it suited their needs to be in a specific area at a certain time. This is fine as long as they can convince me that they will responsibly care for my pets. That is what I am trying to determine in the initial ‘chat’. And Sitters are evaluating me as well and if they don’t like me, the home, the pets, or the tasks required then they are free to walk away. No one is forcing either side. HO can misrepresent themselves and the pets but Sitters can also misrepresent themselves and their experiences and ability with animals. Hence the need for the evaluation prior to confirming a sit.
And yes of course all HO should have a plan B whether it is THS or a paid sitter or even when both HO are home (in the event of natural disasters). HO have their entire home and beloved animals at stake - we have more to lose if there is a truly unforeseen circumstance - or if we confirm an unreliable or unqualified sitter. A sitter who applies to a sit that turns out to be a poor experience can just walk away when its done. A HO can have far worse consequences if their animals are not properly cared for or the property is not kept up (or in extreme cases even damaged).
But it is fair for a HO to judge how quick-thinking and responsive a potential sitter would be in an emergency. For example if they became ill would they simply not communicate at all to the HO and let the animals suffer or would they send a text or call with the situation and request assistance. Or if a natural disaster required an evacuation is the sitter capable of getting the animals out to the pre-determined safe zone. Just as airlines confirm the passenger sitting in the exit row is capable of assisting in an emergency - they do not expect that passenger to save the entire plane but do need to confirm they can play their part. Hopefully that makes sense.
Thanks for your perspective, it was interesting and did get me thinking about the relationship between Sitter and HO. And who knows - maybe my feelings will change over time and more experience with the process.
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I can only speak from a personal point of view, but we don’t fit into the profile that you feel sitters must fall into, we’re all different.
Most of our sits so far have been local ones, over 80% of our sits are within a 2 hour drive of our home town, we’ve gone as far as 2 hours simply because there aren’t many sits nearby that come up on THS.
The one place we visit overseas is a location where our immediate family live, so overtime we will spend slightly more time overseas in that particular area as we build up our connections with HO’s and their pets, as we love to return to the same place, with pets that know us, and home owners that can rely on us. But ultimately our overseas place isn’t about travel, it’s about being closer to our family for a longer period, and as we love pet sitting, it’s the best way to do it.
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Yes of course everyone is an individual with their own reasons and motivations.
In either the case of the local sit it is still and exchange - you are signing up for the companionship of the animal more than travel. For the overseas sit you are signing up for the location (whether it is to visit family or to sightsee it is still travel) and you’re receiving the added benefit of the lodging that comes with the companionship of the animal. It is still an exchange.
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To me, that’s splitting hairs. We all basically take sits so we can experience something we couldn’t by staying at home. That can mean sightseeing, seeing friends and family, a change of scenery, a different home, etc.
If we just wanted to take care of pets, we could stay home and look after our own, volunteer at a shelter or offer paid pet sitting, for instance.
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Yes, thanks - that was my point. Both parties benefit.
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I definitely don’t like the surprise during the discussion of a guest but I would rather they be upfront about it then try to sneak them in. I think your idea of a box for guests is a good one but at the same time I don’t have a blanket rule about no guests at all. I’m open to a couple of friends or family stopping by for dinner, for example, but don’t want them to stay overnight. At the same time I might entertain one or two overnight guests for a night or two but would specify where they would need to sleep. And it would only be for a sitter who was otherwise perfect.
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@Felinelover Although you’ve received lots of responses your question has been discussed a lot in the past.
You can always do a search before posing a question. Here’s one thread which may help you:
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Exactly. I made two exceptions and they were two long-term sitters that I had complete trust in. And they weren’t just any people, but in one case it was the sister and in the other was the long-term partner.
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In the “house rules” section of my welcome guide the first thing I state is “please no smoking or drugs”. I usually bring it up as well in the conversation, but if the sitter plans on partaking, it’s really on them to bring it up and ask if it’s ok.
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I have this in my welcome guide as well!
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I declined further communication with a prospective sitter when he asked which part of the DC area I live in and then replied “right answer” after I told him. I guess it’s a normal question since the DC metro area is rather large, but his response gave me pause. Was I silly?
I did alter my introduction page after that though to a more specific location.
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You should do what feels comfortable for you when it comes to choosing sitters.
From my POV as a sitter, I automatically skip every listing that doesn’t specify a neighborhood in any large metro area. And some other sitters have commented likewise. To me, such listings are a waste of time, since location is the No. 1 priority for many travelers / sitters. That’s especially relevant when someone is visiting and dealing with walks, feeding and possible medication times, and however long a pet can be reasonably left. Otherwise, there’s no way to tell whether a sitter is getting a reasonable exchange.
The more specific a listing, the easier it is for potential sitters to opt in or out, which saves hosts time as well.
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What a beautiful thought out response. I agree 100%.
Hi, I’ve been in THS for several years and I suggest you ask about previous experiences with dogs, whether they’ve had large dogs or not. It’s not necessary but for me it’s important because my dogs are very strong and run a lot. You need to know that they can make you fall if you find yourself in their path, know if they can handle a large dog on a leash, know how to play with them. Then now I also ask what time zone they work in and if they are able to follow the dogs’ schedule. If you work at night and sleep during the day you can’t take care of the dogs. If you do short sittings, apart from the dogs and normal cleaning, there isn’t much. If you do long sittings, set precise rules for how to take care of the house as well, otherwise you’ll end up with a dump. Many people don’t like cleaning, and if they only stay there for a week it’s one thing, if they stay there for 2 months it’s another. Then you have to consider that since they don’t pay anything, many don’t worry about turning off the lights, TV, air conditioning. I have had sitters who would go out and leave the windows open and the house open to thieves.
You have been really unlucky.
Were they first time sitters and there were no previous reviews you could check?
It’s always a good idea to get as much information as possible (from application itself, sitter’s profile and reviews by other owners but also the reviews they have written for owners) before even suggesting a video chat. Then, during the video chat you can check on some aspects of what you already have read and ask as many questions as you need to as well as answer the questions sitters have for you. The questions that sitters ask are also informative as to how detail oriented they may be.
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I would think turning off lights etc. would be more reliant on what you are used to doing than who pays for the bills?
I’m brought up closing doors, turning off lights etc., so do it automatically. If I’ve had a conversation about something I can of course do something else, but I wouldn’t leave something on, for instance, because it wasn’t me paying the bills? Maybe it is just me.
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you can’t know a person’s character from a call. But things should be left as they find them. If they find a clean and disinfected house they should leave it clean and disinfected
Yes that is right but none has the same education and the only way to oblige everyone to that. Really I never ask money to anybody but I’m telling them this to make them more responsible
I am sorry I may have not been clear enough. I was not talking about character but being specific about the requirements of the sit and finding out if sitters are experienced and willing to fulfill them. Things like closing doors and windows before going out seem basic to most people but if you have had bad experiences regarding that perhaps it’s a good idea to ask what they usually do to keep the property safe.
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